Explainerhttps://www.bettergov.org/type/explainer
The Newsroom produces explanatory stories that break through political gamesmanship to address complex issues affecting citizens throughout Illinois.enMillennials and Market Saturation Raise Doubts About New Casino Pushhttps://www.bettergov.org/news/millennials-and-market-saturation-raise-doubts-about-new-casino-push
Talk of new Chicago and Downstate casinos is resurfacing among politicians as an answer to government fiscal woes. But casino revenue is off sharply from its heights, and the industry is struggling to attract younger gamblers.Wed, 06 Feb 2019 14:00 -0600Tim Joneshttps://bettergov.org/node/1401837Path Not Easy for Pritzker’s Tax-the-Rich Planhttps://www.bettergov.org/news/path-not-easy-for-pritzker-s-tax-the-rich-plan
There is often a disconnect between tax policies voters say they back and those they vote for. That’s the dilemma facing Gov.-elect J.B. Pritzker, who says he wants to amend the state constitution to allow for a graduated tax that will increase the burden on the wealthy.Thu, 13 Dec 2018 06:00 -0600Tim Joneshttps://bettergov.org/node/1401805A Corruption-fighting Attorney General? Easy to Say, Harder to Dohttps://www.bettergov.org/news/a-corruption-fighting-attorney-general-easy-to-say-harder-to-do
The top lawyers in Illinois and most other states rarely investigate corruption. That’s by design, not political cowardice.Tue, 30 Oct 2018 06:00 -0500Tim Joneshttps://bettergov.org/node/1401760The Chicken Little Effect on Illinois’ Pension Crisishttps://www.bettergov.org/news/the-chicken-little-effect-on-illinois-pension-crisis
Years of unfulfilled warnings of imminent fiscal collapse due to pension debt have numbed Illinois voters to a still real threat and given politicians an election year escape hatch to avoid talk about the state’s most difficult problem.Fri, 28 Sep 2018 06:00 -0500Tim Joneshttps://bettergov.org/node/1401718Elon Musk’s ‘Electric Skates’ to O’Hare Mired in Secrecy, Skepticismhttps://www.bettergov.org/news/elon-musk-s-electric-skates-to-o-hare-mired-in-secrecy-skepticism
The Better Government Association has filed a lawsuit against the city for disclosure of public records behind its $1 billion deal with Musk’s company.Wed, 15 Aug 2018 06:00 -0500Alejandra Cancinohttps://bettergov.org/node/1401687Illinois Politics Becomes the Plaything of the Richhttps://www.bettergov.org/news/illinois-politics-becomes-the-plaything-of-the-rich
This year’s race for governor is the King Kong vs. Godzilla of big-money politics, rendering small donors irrelevant and impacting races down the ballot as well.Thu, 26 Jul 2018 06:00 -0500Tim Joneshttps://bettergov.org/node/1401668Reality Check Time for Metra: The Downside of Frugalityhttps://www.bettergov.org/news/reality-check-time-for-metra-the-downside-of-frugality
A reluctance to spend has led the suburban rail system to cars decades out of date and a bottom line that has never appeared bleaker.Thu, 14 Jun 2018 06:00 -0500Judith Crownhttps://bettergov.org/node/1401633Illinois’ Population Is Falling, but the Sky Isn’thttps://www.bettergov.org/news/illinois-population-is-falling-but-the-sky-isn-t
Census estimates in recent years point to a shrinking Illinois, but the severity of the drop gets overstated while attempts to blame it on high taxes get overblown.Thu, 07 Jun 2018 06:00 -0500Tim Joneshttps://bettergov.org/node/1401629Chicago’s New City ID Opens Doors But Stokes Fearshttps://www.bettergov.org/news/chicago-s-new-city-id-opens-doors-but-stokes-fears
With its CityKey ID card, Chicago follows New York in launching a municipal document aimed at opening access to an array of services for residents who lack identification. But conservatives claim it's a gateway to voter fraud.Mon, 07 May 2018 16:45 -0500Katie Drewshttps://bettergov.org/node/1401599Pension Crisis: Top Candidates Avoid Talk About Illinois’ Top Problemhttps://www.bettergov.org/news/pension-crisis-top-candidates-avoid-talk-about-illinois-top-problem
The crushing pension debt that is squeezing out resources to pay for other services grew through decades of bipartisan political expediency. The candidates for governor steer clear of the topic as options to fix the crisis without pain narrow.Fri, 13 Apr 2018 06:00 -0500Tim Joneshttps://bettergov.org/node/1401572Illinois Tax Reform Sideshow Long on Gimmicks, Short on Solutionshttps://www.bettergov.org/news/illinois-tax-reform-sideshow-long-on-gimmicks-short-on-solutions
Politicians peddle an array of fiscal tonics to cure what ails Illinois. Rarely do they consider the property, income and sales taxes as part of a system that requires a comprehensive overhaul.Wed, 21 Feb 2018 06:00 -0600Tim Jones, Kiannah Sepeda-Millerhttps://bettergov.org/node/1401497How Much Would You Pay To Avoid Traffic? Illinois and 'Congestion Pricing' https://www.bettergov.org/news/how-much-would-you-pay-to-avoid-traffic-illinois-and-congestion-pricing
An approach that borrows from Uber’s fluctuating pricing strategy and a theme park express pass is being eyed by experts to finance long-overdue improvements on the Eisenhower and other roads.Fri, 01 Dec 2017 06:00 -0600Judith Crownhttps://bettergov.org/node/1401406Electric Cars And Fuel Sippers Spell Doom For State Gas Tax https://www.bettergov.org/news/electric-cars-and-fuel-sippers-spell-doom-for-state-gas-tax
As roads and bridges in Illinois crumble, so too does the primary source of revenue the state relies on to fix them—the gas tax.Wed, 15 Nov 2017 06:00 -0600Tim Joneshttps://bettergov.org/node/1401397Rauner Administration Stirs Up Uncertainty By Scaling Back Social Service Fundinghttps://www.bettergov.org/news/rauner-administration-stirs-up-uncertainty-by-scaling-back-social-service-funding
Following two years of tumult amid Illinois’ historic budget standoff, state funding for human service programs has become so unreliable some providers are now questioning if it might be wiser to forgo it entirely.Tue, 24 Oct 2017 06:00 -0500Kiannah Sepeda-Millerhttps://bettergov.org/node/1401385Illinois Circling The Toilet Bowl? This Boom Town Begs To Differhttps://www.bettergov.org/news/illinois-circling-the-toilet-bowl-this-boom-town-begs-to-differ
Tiny Rochelle, 80 miles west of Chicago at the intersection of Interstates 88 and 39, is on an industrial roll, blissfully ignoring a common narrative among political and business elites of an economically maligned Illinois.Wed, 11 Oct 2017 06:00 -0500Tim Joneshttps://bettergov.org/node/1401373